HI guys! Another week, another WTF?! Wednesday! It totally crept up on me this week because my weekend all blended together. I was chosen to go on a 4 day trip with the Seoul Office of Education to the island of Dokdo along with 35 other native English teachers, so the weekend and the week have flown! That being said, a post about Dokdo will be coming shortly because that is a very special island to the people of Korea, so you’ll want to hear a little bit about it. You’ll also want to know why I’ve since acquired a new sense of good luck now that I’ve been there.
ANYWAYS, for this week’s WTF?! Wednesday I’m presenting you with something phallic. I think it’s absolutely odd that Korea has parks and sculptures enshrined all over the country dedicated to the male member, when anything related to sex is so taboo. Many Koreans when asked don’t even know the scientific words for penis or vagina. It’s BIZARRO.
While in Samcheok this weekend, we were walking up to the top of a mountain to pray (for the millionth time) for good weather so that we’d be able to reach Dokdo’s holy soil. As we were walking, we passed this row of glorified penises. The boys I was with walked right past them at first, but I of course caught wind of them and lept at the photographic opportunity.
I know, I know. This is beyond tardy. It has taken me a year and a day to post about mine and Stephanie’s jaunt to the beautiful cities of Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang back in February, but I am finally getting around to doing it. Holy moly, I can’t believe it’s been that long. Shame on me!!!
This time, instead of doing my typical posty post about the entire vaca, what we ate, who we ate with and at what time, I’m going to chronicle my favorite moments of the trip. So buckle up peeps!
1. Our 16 Hour Train Ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Instead of flying directly to Chiang Mai, we flew into Bangkok and opted to indulge in the journey of getting to Chiang Mai. And what reeks more of wanderlusting travel than the huff and puff of a locomotive train? We stocked up on snacks, including an accidental choosing of PICKLED mango on Miss Stephanie Anne’s part, ordered a surprisingly delicious dinner on board, got our train bunks turned down by the train maid, tucked ourselves in with a good book (50 Shades of Grey anyone?), and then buckled ourselves into bed for the night. At least I did in my coffin of a top bunk. We rolled into Chiang Mai bright and early the next morning.
2. Our guest house in Chiang Mai ~ Finlay’s Cottage.
Steph and I hadn’t booked a place for our first night in Chiang Mai, and since we were meeting Abby for a night we asked her to book us 1 night at Finlay’s Cottage, the place where she was staying. We loved this place so much that we ended up cancelling our previous reservations and it ended up being our home base for our entire stay in Chiang Mai, both before and after Laos. We loved it that much! The man and woman who run the guest house are a couple of unlikely friends, but are somehow fantastically hilarious. The woman helped us book all our day trips, got us a great tuk tuk driver, made us delicious breakfasts every morning, woke us up to make sure we ate our breakfasts every morning, cancelled our prior reservations for us and made great sarcastic conversation with us when necessary. The man is from Australia and just never returned, and the woman lived on Koh Phi Phi for 37 years as a masseuse, but when the tsunami hit she broke nearly all her bones and chose to relocate up north, and has been there ever since. They were top NOTCH!
3. Thai Cooking Class With Beery.
I love cooking but it’s something that I just don’t really have the patience or timing for. I like to think of myself as more of a “throw together whatever I have kinda chef” and it always works. I’ve always wanted to take a cooking class in Thailand since I saw MayMay took one on her trip! I figured Steph and Abby were the perfect people to do this with since they are both chef masters. We signed up for a wonderful cooking class at Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School and had a fabulously flamboyant instructor named Beery, who was just the cherry on top! It was boot camp in the most fun way possible. We started with a trip to the local market, then went to the school’s garden to smell the herbs and plants native to Thai cuisine that we’d be cooking with, and then got down to cooking! I made Pad See Ew (because it reminds me of Jessie), Kow Soi Curry and curry paste (the native curry to Chiang Mai which came recommended by MayMay), and Mango sticky rice.
4. When I Discovered That Friendship Is Hoisting Your Friend Atop An Elephant.
We went on an all-day Mahout elephant trekking course through the jungle, atop the most gorgeous and friendly and massive animal in the world. We learned key commands to “drive” them, fed them endless amounts of sugar cane and bananas, struggled to hoist ourselves atop their massive bodies, struggled yet again to steer our still hormonal lady thru a jungle trek, squealed with glee whilst sliding down her trunk, and then took the most glorious bath in the world with her even though it was filled with piles of shit, I’m sure. This is my favorite photo from the trip. I really made an ass out of myself, but at least I know who’s got me from all angles as I migrate through this world of ours.
5. Taking This Photo For National Geographic While Sitting In Tiger Pee.
We didn’t really take it for National Geographic, but we might as well have. We spent an afternoon at the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai posing with a 3 month old tiger, a 5 month old tiger, and then this full grown tiger. We even saw this guy snap at someone. OPEN WIDE and guard your life!
6. Getting Annoyed By Chinese Tourists While Trying to Observe the Long Neck Karan Tribe.
The Long Neck Karan tribe native to Chiang Mai is a bit of a circus detour, but I really wanted to see it since this tribe is the one thing that I’ve always remembered since going to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! as a child. We went, it was awkward and fascinating, and then we got annoyed by the Chinese tourists that always come in loud like they own the place with zero respect.
7. When Steph Walked Like An Ajumma Up The Massive Stairway to Wat Doi Suthep.
The greatest Wat (temple) in Chiang Mai is Wat Doi Suthep, and it’s located at the tippy top of a massive mountain. To get there you have to take a tuk tuk, to a red jeep and then walk up the insane stairway. Here is Steph getting back to her Korean roots en route to the top.
8. Riding In The Back Of A Pick Up Truck While Crossing The Laos Border.
We decided to take the slow boat journey from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. This consisted of a 7 hour minibus to the border, where our small group was greeted by a pick up truck, and we were instructed to hop into the bed of it and stand. Obediently we did so. FEELIN LIKE A CHOLA.
9. A Dramatic Reading Of 50 Shades of Grey In French In The Middle Of Nowhere, Laos.
We spent the night in creepy cabins in the middle of nowhere Laos as we awaited our boat ride along the Mekong the next morning. Our fellow companions were a Swiss couple and our newly made travel companion, French lassie Audrey. Their common language was French, and having never heard of the epic 50 Shades of Grey before, our new friend decided to translate the novel for his lady. It was oh so sexy.
10. The Sweetest Sendoff From Adorable Laotian Babies As We Set Off On The Mekong.
We woke up bright and early and were escorted to our private boat for our Mekong River cruise. Our escort service couldn’t have been any more adorable if it tried. Heart. Melt.
11. Our First Laotian Meal Of Various Flavors Of….Buffalo Jerky.
Steph, Audrey and I set out to try our first Laotian meal since arriving in Luang Prabang. We turned down a sleepy road in the early-to-sleep city, and perused a menu of our selected restaurant. There were so many oddly named items, so we took it upon ourselves to order the ones that stood out the most to us. I believe mine was called “Day Meat Smashed Style”. Basically, we all got variously flavored versions of buffalo jerky. Needless to say, we were not impressed and stuck to baguettes from the street food vendors for the remainder of our stay in Luang Prabang.
12. This Pleasant Lady And Her Amazing Baguettes.
This woman had such a pleasant aura about her, and call me a weirdo, but I loved watching her make her sandwiches. She was so calm, and her sandwiches were so amazing. They were massive and I scarfed them DOWN. I always got her chicken, brie, tomato, avocado, lettuce and cucumber sandwich and boy did it satisfy. I also loved that she was one of the only street food stands that had all of her food covered and away from the flies. Sanitation!!!
13. Meeting A 16 Year Old Monk Who Loves to Speak English With Foreigners.
We were making our way up to Wat Chom Si atop Pousi Hill just before sunset when we met this friendly monk, Bee. He is 16 years old and was so sweet and friendly. He told us about how he loves studying English and hopes to one day travel to America, and loves hanging out on that walk up to the top because so many foreigners come through and it gives him a chance to practice his English. It was so refreshing to meet someone as young and eager as him to learn and practice, especially after working with Korean students who a lot of the time can care less about learning English. We exchanged information and are now Facebook friends! 🙂
14. Taking This Glorious Photo Atop Pousi Hill.
Audrey was traveling by herself, and was a lovely addition to our stay in Luang Prabang. Im so glad we got this awesome photo of the three of us!
15. Going to Kuang Si Waterfall And Doing A Boob Flop Rope Jump.
We made the journey out to Kuang Si Waterfall with Audrey and 5 Germans that we met. It was a gorgeous hike in, and once there we got to swim in the springs, and if we wanted, jump from the rope hanging from the tree. I of course wanted to do it, but was deathly scared once I got up onto the tree. It was SO slippery, and I was trembling as I used the wooden stick to grab the swinging rope to clutch between my shaking hands. I was a ball of nerves! Klutzy McKlutz over here. Well, I didn’t hold high enough on the rope, and when I swung I barely swung and BOOB FLOPPED flat into the water so hard that my top came off under water. FAIL. But awesome. This is the face I made upon emerging and confirming my breasts were still in tact.
16. Observing A Man In a Diaper Walk Down The Street Carrying A Machete.
As the heading says, a man with deathly leather colored skin traipsed down the street wearing nothing but a sheet-like diaper, while carrying nothing but a machete. I felt safe.
17. Temple Hopping And Bicycle Riding.
One thing I always try to do while traveling is spend a day with a map in hand and my tuchous on a bicycle seat. It’s so whimsical and I think the best way to see a city. Luang Prabang is probably one of the best cities to do this in because it’s so small and quaint. So, we spent a day temple hopping, monk spotting and drink sipping on our bikes, and it was a beautiful, hot and sweaty day!
18. Bargaining My Face Off At The Most Colorful Night Market I’ve Ever Been To.
I LOVE night marketing while I travel, and the market in Luang Prabang exceeded my expectations. It was by far my favorite night market I’ve ever been to. The colors were so bright everywhere I turned, and the handmade items being sold were so fun and vibrant and unique. I bargained like it was my job and ended up snagging a pretty awesome travel bag for a sweet deal. I love this photo I took, and every time I look at it I just want to pop back there!
19. Meeting New Friends At The All Vegetarian Buffet At The Night Market.
While Instagramming, Steph stumbled upon a guy’s posting of this all vegetarian buffet just off of the night market. There was a massive spread of food that you put on a plate and then a guy heated it all up for you in a wok. It was for something outrageous like $5, and was so delicious! We pulled up a seat with everyone else and nommed down on our food. We met some fascinating friends from France, Argentina and Mauritius that we spent the rest of our last evening with. It’s moments like this when I realize why I love traveling.
20. Sitting In The Back Of Our Second Pick Up Truck Crossing The Thailand Border.
We did it once, and we did it twice. Southeast Asia seems to follow Mexico’s lead when it comes to border crossing, because I’ve never felt more illegal in my life. Sometimes it feels good to live life on the edge. At least we had a stamp in our passeporto.
21. Stumbling Upon This Awesome Art Shop In Chiang Mai.
On our last day in Chiang Mai, we randomly stumbled into this art studio/shop filled with a man’s artwork strewn about with every life and travel quote imaginable. We spent a wild amount of time wandering and finding the perfect purchases for ourselves and our parents. We both chose pieces for our parents with quotes about our own need to wander the world, and how no matter where we are they’re always in our hearts.
22. These Young Boys Getting Massages In Bangkok.
Because they were such babies and they looked so funny and adorable getting a group massage. I couldn’t help myself. They were 18 years old. BABIES!
23. These Gangnam Style Sandals On Khaosan Rd.
Well, because there would be no better send off back to Koko than to see Psy displayed on some footwear.
Well, there you have it. Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang in a somewhat brief pictoral nutshell. I hope you enjoyed despite my tardiness! Better late than never!!
HI guys! It’s Wednesday today so that means I get to share something weird, wacky, silly, horribly written or just plain ridiculous with you, per the usual here in the Koko. Anything that makes me utter a WTF?!
It’s spring now, which means that the weather in Korea is becoming muggy and completely and utterly clammy. Basically, I’m one uncomfortable human being 95% of the time. Between my school keeping the AC under lock and key because “WE MUST SAVE ENERGY”, and the subway and bus Gods taking the liberty to turn the AC on and off whenever they feel like suffocating us in a confined space, my skin is constantly sticky and in desperate need of a bath.
However, one of the splendiferous perks of spring and summertime in Korea is the patbingsoo. This my friends is heaven in a bowl. It’s made of shaved ice, condensed milk, mixed fruits, ice cream, sometimes red bean which I prefer it without, and any other assortment of cereals or nuts. It is usually served in a big bowl so you can share with a few people and cool yourself down from the inside.
Two Thursdays ago was Memorial Day in Korea, which meant we had the day off of school. My friend Veny and I went down to the Han River and got our couple on by sharing a tandem bike ride along the river. After we biked around for an hour, we wandered for something sweet. We ended up choosing a cafe that wasn’t too packed except for this little Panda man sitting outside at his own table havin’ a cuppa joe. Strange yet inviting we thought.
We were really confused at first because we didn’t know if it was someone’s table and they just brought their cute lil friend along for a treat. We finally figured it wasn’t being occupied, and pulled up a couple chairs to sit with the Panda and his joe while we enjoyed our delicious patbingsoo. I do LOVE Pandas afterall.
If we were going to join Panda, we might as well include him. Here he is trying a taste of our treat.
Absolutely nothing about the following song reminds me of the Baller, except for one significant opening line…..”You remind me of my Gucci shoes.”
During our first year out of college, Bret and I used to talk on the phone every morning on our horrendously long traffic filled commutes to work. Along with hearing about his morning coffee consumption and other morning *movements*….I got to hear his sweet “sweet” rendition of Monica’s A Dozen Roses. Only for the longest time, I had absolutely NO idea what song he was singing because his annoying, nasally, almost Urkel-esq version was so far off from the sultry jam, that I was floored when I finally heard the actual song he was mimicking. He still doesn’t understand where my auditory disconnect went awry.
His awful singing voice aside, per his Facebook page, Bretty is turning a ripe 65 years young today, and his bone structure wouldn’t let you believe he’s a day over 31. He is the reason I love White Russians, why I’ll always find being called a whore endearing (but only by him of course), why I’ll always refer to that *classy* blue liquor that only grill-wearing ballers drink as “The Hypo”, why I’ll always remember my Women in Film class because of his incessant knee shakes, why men’s ties and the word “Façonnable” will always roll off my tongue, and why a New Years Eve will always be somewhat empty if he’s not there to grace me with his *sensational* hip-swiveling and claptastic dance moves. He’s the best roomie I’ve ever had, and the best platonic manfriend a girl could ever ask for. He’s the baller to my whore, and thank you UCSB and that lovely apartment complex on one Segovia Rd. for introducing us.
Oh, and Happy 31st Birthday old man. I hope your racquetball ankle sprain heels in a jiffy.
Now for a little time travel complete with a dance video, or two, because this post would be incomplete without. Apologies in advance for the embarrassment.
I think this is the first photo we took as the best foursome of neighbors on the block. By this time I knew his name and wasn’t calling him “the Matthew McConaughey guy” anymore.
Winter came, Natty Lite and White Russians got us super acquainted, I called him Doug Funnie nose, and I actually remember this hug quite vividly. We totes became BFFs then and there.
I turned 21. White Russian, sweaty face and awful tank top. He also cracked open his very special bottle of “Hypo” on my very special day.
He especially loved 2am wake-up calls from his awesome sisters and their friends down the way when he had water polo practice in 4 hours.
He loved repaying the favor by jumping on his sister while he was intoxicated and she was trying to sleep. This is actually still one of my all time fave Baller/Jones photos. High 5!
We also had Three’s Company naptime on the famous couches after a long day of watching Sex and the City or Desperate Housewives, two of Bretty’s favorite TV shows.
Then the Baller and Whore 1 & 2 graduated ❤ Santa Barbara would have never ever been the same without these two.
After graduating, Bret moved back up north to Coup Town and me to LA, and I was SO sad, but it honestly never really felt like it, aside from not seeing him everyday. Since then we’ve spent I think nearly every New Years Eve together and a couple trips either him down to LA or me up to San Francisco within the years.
Botched trips up north for Oktoberfest, only to be greeted with the alternate gay Love Fest, have never been sweeter.
And mind-altering afternoons in LA laughing our asses off while watching Borat have never been funnier.
When I came home after a year and a half in Korea, the Baller (and Rami!!) came to LA for my birthday weekend, and it was the best gift ever!!
We of course danced, and he spent a lot of time practicing his dance moves and gettin’ low…..his “specialty”.
A tribute to the Baller wouldn’t be complete without documentation of some of those masterpieces he likes to whip up. Please. Indulge your eyeballs.
Here he is dancing to his own natural rhythm. His own essence. Really feelin’ that music. Pardon the side angle.
And rounding it all out with my personal fave. Everytime I watch this video I can’t not laugh. It gets me every, EVERYtime.
Love you to the moon Baller, and I hope you get over your fear of Asian cuisine and come visit me in the Orient. I’ve got a live octopus with your name on it waiting.
HAPPY 65th BIRTHDAY, DOUG FUNNIE!!! YOU’VE NEVER LOOKED BETTER!
Well, it appears that I have been served up a second serving of him, and it tastes just as foul as I remember. My school A) doesn’t care about the English its students are learning and B) travels to planet Moron to retrieve specimens of idiot to throw into a classroom with me and see how well I can tolerate their just.standing.there.doing.nothing. I AM NOT HAPPY. Especially when I had finally been graced with a young, lovely, SMART, new co-teacher who had a strong enough grasp of the English language and a spectacular eagerness to learn more. Hong-Eon was my new little dream boat and she was snatched away before I could even say “Thank you”. Good thing I didn’t get a chance to.
A homeroom teacher in the 3rd grade had to go and get pregnant (the nerve!!!….totally jk) and the school decided that since Hong-Eon is young and new she could be moved easily, so that’s what they did. The Vice Principal actually asked her if she knew anyone looking for a job and could fill in for a month and a half, regardless of their ability to speak English, just so they could finish out the semester, and a new English co-teacher would be hired at the new semester in September. She and I were both severely annoyed by that. The school ended up posting the job opening somewhere, and that’s where they got this guy. Thankfully he’s only here for a month and a half, but still.
When I met him, my principal actually told me (thru Jin), to learn Korean so that I can help him out since his English is really poor. Excuse me, but I am here to teach English to the students, not do my job AND his job for him. During the upcoming year I’ll probably finally get my ass into gear and take some Korean classes, but I’m definitely not going to say anything to the school, especially after they said this. I was so irritated by that comment. What nerve! Hire someone who is qualified for the job they are applying to work, not just to have a body fill a space.
I know I have come into this situation with preconceived notions about the whole arrangement, but so far it’s shaping up just as it did last year with Mr. Jang… Me leading all of my 3rd and 6th grade classes with a man who literally stands in front of the classroom leaning against the white board not paying attention to the lesson or the kids in the class. Not picking up on cues to their lack of understanding and need of translation. Him not disciplining them at all, even while he’s standing directly in front of them and they have not responded to my scolding in English. And me jumping around like a monkey between touchscreen and handing out points because he doesn’t help out AT ALL, even after I’ve asked him to multiple times. Worthless!!!
I have also picked up on some of his mannerisms at lunch, and I just think he hates kids. He makes weird faces whenever they’re messing around and doing things kids do with each other, and it annoys me. Maybe that’s just one of my weird neuroses, but it does.
I’m trying to breathe and bare with the fact that I only have about a month-ish left with him. I’m just crossing my heart and hope to die that my school pulls through and hires someone like Hong-Eon or Jin for the coming semester. It makes a world of difference teaching with someone you have a rapport with, and someone who even if they can’t speak perfect English, they are willing and eager to learn from you and work together.
Hi guys!! Quick lil thang first off! I’ve decided to make an ever-so-slight change to my Wednesday weekly posting and will now be calling it WTF?! Wednesday.
Since Korea is a dream boat for all things weird and WTF, this will give me free reign to show you all the great Engrish fails PLUS all the other amazingly ridiculous things this country has come up with. It’s absolutely fascinating.
SO, for today’s WTF?! Wednesday, I’m treating you to one of my personal faves. This photo just goes to show that anything goes and zero f*cks (or many, according to this young lady’s head piece) are given over here in the name of fashion. In this girl’s case I wouldn’t really qualify a bucket hat as fashionable, but that’s neither here nor there.
I was sitting across from this girl on the subway, and when I looked up from my phone I had to do a double take and reread because I thought my eyes were fooling me. They weren’t, and BOY what a statement she chose to make!
The hat really is a masterpiece.
Your eyes are not deceiving you. It does in fact say “FUCK IT” around the entire bucket and rim.
Perhaps her boyfriend broke up with her the day she made the purchase? Or she just liked the style? Or she’s never listened to rap music? Or foreign movies? I’m at a loss.
Whatever the reason, she gave zero fucks that day and it definitely made my day!
As most of you already are aware if you follow me on Instagram, one of my favorite things to do is document the horrendous form of the written English language in Korea. People walk around with some of the most butchered sentences or inappropriate sayings on their clothing, and I believe it’d be a huge disservice to our eyeballs and all the Grammar Nazis out there (myself included), not to capture such technical gems.
I’ve decided to make a weekly post on this ol’ blog of mine chronicling the outcome of what happens when Koreans choose not to utilize the overabundant amount of foreigners in their country, and instead decide to #justclickprint.
For the first Watchu Say?! Wednesday, this is actually the first #justclickprint t-shirt I hunkered down and bought myself. I found it in a stall in Gangnam Station, and stood there laughing to myself and debated spending the 10,000won (~$10) on it for a solid 15 minutes. The girl working there was most likely clueless as to why I was laughing and shaking my head at a t-shirt, which I’m sure is usually the case when I find something good.
I finally decided that it was definitely too good a find to pass up. Between the floral and the message it’s struggling to get across, I had to own it.
In case you are at a loss for what it says, here’s what it should say:
Peace
Love
Understandin’
I just wish I had the gusto to wear it to school since I’m such a fan of it. However, as a teacher of the English language, I can’t bring myself to do it.
On Sunday I finally had the opportunity to attend my first Korean wedding! Leni, my first co-teacher and Korean mommy when I was on my death bed, got married and looked like such a princess in her humungous gown as it flowed and draped so perfectly while she posed for photos with guests. I got there a few minutes after the rest of my co-workers, and when they came out from taking photos with her, they told me she kept asking where I was. I quickly ran over to her and almost cried. Then we threw up some peace signs 🙂
As for the rest of the wedding I really didn’t know what to expect. All I’d heard was that Korean weddings are extremely different than weddings back home. That they’re really quick ceremonies, like 20 minutes max, some people wear jeans, and that as soon as one ends the next wedding is ushered in, and of course the buffet afterwards.
That’s pretty much how it went. After taking pictures with Leni we went downstairs and there were so many people there. Jin told me that this was one of the biggest weddings she had been to. I lost my group of people for a little bit, but ended up stumbling upon Leni’s twin sister and her parents, so I introduced myself. They instantly knew who I was and their faces lit up. I was so excited to meet them, especially her sister, and they were so adorable and sweet like her. I also met her hubby-to-be who was so smiley and cute when he said hello to me. Good thing about being the only foreigner there is that the important people instantly knew who I was!
Then I gave my white envelope of monies to Leni’s sister, after not really being sure who to give it to. Jin later told me that the people sitting at these tables collect the money and have you sign some book. They’re typically relatives of the family. But she told me that giving it to the sister was perfect. Life of a foreigner here, always being some kind of clueless! It’s also not customary to give gifts. Everyone gives money, and you generally give varying amounts depending on how well you know the people.
A few minutes later, the workers started ushering everyone to the sides to form a walkway. The musician started playing, they rolled out a fancy red carpet (which apparently is unusual!) and down the aisle she came with her dad. I almost started crying again.
And into the really long wedding hall. Jin really liked this one because she felt it was really simple and not gaudy with lots of candles and chandeliers like most of them. Very *her style*.
Here’s one of their engagement photos and the announcement for their wedding just outside the chapel. It says their names, Oh Won Taek and Kim Chan Young (Leni).
The ceremony was really different. In the states everyone pays attention to what is going on and it’s intimate no matter the size. But here as I looked around everyone was on their phone or talking to each other, and a huge group of us were just gathered at the back by the door which was open into the foyer area. The guests for the next wedding were all out in the foyer and it was super noisy. Obviously I can’t understand the ceremony, but it was so loud back there.
The next part I thought was really cute and funny. I wish I got it on video. I guess a lot of times the groom or someone sings at the end of the ceremony. So, the groom and his friend sang and rapped a song for Leni. It was like a noraebang on steroids and chiffon.
Before the ceremony even finished, per usual Korean standards, I was told we were going to go eat now, and off to the buffet we went! We handed our food cards to the hostess and then my stomach exploded with excitement. SO MUCH FOOD! Here’s a picture of my second plate filled with sushi and japchae.
While we were eating, Leni and her husband came around dressed in hanbok to pop their heads in and say hi to their guests. It was super informal and many of the people eating were attending different weddings. In the dining hall there was also a huge projection screen on the wall showing the wedding that was going on. So, essentially people can come to the wedding and just sit and eat and watch the wedding while stuffing their face. So bizarre, but tis a huge cultural difference!
In total the whole wedding from arrival to departure was about 2 hours. Totally different from the extravagant ceremony and reception that is typical of western culture.
I’m glad I finally got to attend a wedding in Korea, and I’m so happy it was for someone that I love so much!
seoul | tapperilla 